St Michael’s Church remembers the Battle of the Somme

100 years ago, at 7.30 am on 1st July 1916, the Battle of the Somme started. British casualties were some 20,000 men killed in action. It remains the most costly day in Britain’s military history. That day, 5 of the 33 men on St Michael’s Roll of Honour were killed in the diversionary attack on the hamlet of Gommecourt, London Regiments being prominent in that attack.

At the Holy Communion Service on Sunday 26th June 2016, the congregation remembered these men and a special Somme wreath composed of the traditional red poppies interspersed with four cornflowers, was laid at the altar during the service and thereafter by the Roll of Honour inside the Church.

Remembering the men who lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme

During the Holy Communion Service at 10 am on Sunday 26th June 2016, we shall specifically remember nine of the 33 men listed on the carved memorial in St Michael’s Church, Elmwood Road. These men lost their lives in a two month period between the 30th May and 28th July 1916. All but one perished in France before or during the Battle of the Somme in which five died on the first day of the battle in the diversionary assault on Gommecourt. The men were:

Geoffrey Damarel Gidley, 9th County of London Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles)

died of wounds, 30th May 1916, Douleens*, Somme

Philip Walpole Coverley, 8th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force     

killed in action, 14th June 1916, Menin Gate, Ypres*, Belgium

Ivor Reginald Pogose, 5th Battalion London Regiment (The London Rifles)         

died of wounds, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme

           

Richard Arnold Sully, 9th County of London Battalion (Kensington Rifles)           

killed in action, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme

Frank Maurice Coombs, 5th Battalion London Regiment (The London Rifles)       

missing, presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme

Herman Morton Curths, 9th County of London Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) 

missing, presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme

John Paterson Malcolm, 1st/16th London Regiment, (Queen’s Westminster Rifles

missing, presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme

Leslie Howard Coombs, 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (The Stockbrokers’ Battalion)

died of wounds, 14th July 1916, La Boiselle, Somme

Frank William Keen, 22nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)     

killed in action, 28th July 1916, Delville Wood, Somme

More can be read about these men in the Heroes of Chiswick booklet ‘Commemorating St Michael’s Church’s WW1 Soldiers’ with their stories being told on pages 4 to 7. A pdf of the booklet and more information can be found on the Heroes of Chiswick this website.

Note: * Indicates place of burial/memorial where listed

Remembering the first fatality in 1916 from St Michael's WW1 Roll of Honour

During the 10 am Holy Communion Service on Sunday 29th May 2016, the congregation at St Michael’s Church will be remembering the first man on the Roll of Honour to lose his life, 100 years ago this year, in 1916.

Geoffrey Damarel Gidley was born on 9th May 1896 the son of George Gidley, a tailor, and Annie Maud Gidley (nee Sharp). By 1913, Geoffrey, then 16, was living with his family at 10 Burnaby Gardens, having moved from Shepherd’s Bush. George Gidley was a sidesman at St Michael’s.

Geoffrey enlisted with Queen Victoria’s Rifles (QVR) in September 1914 and rose to the rank of Corporal. He entered France on 17 August 1915, but owing to his skill in training men was kept at base until about a week before his death. In fact he had only been in the firing line a few hours when a shell struck his rough dug-out, injuring him very severely. He was able to be moved to a clearing station, but died of his wounds the same day. Geoffrey is buried in Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No 1.

To read Geoffrey Gidley's biography and those of the other 33 men on the memorial inside St Michael's Church, click here